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Showing results for sedative. Search instead for unsedative.
Synonyms

sedative

American  
[sed-uh-tiv] / ˈsɛd ə tɪv /

adjective

  1. tending to calm or soothe.

  2. allaying irritability or excitement; assuaging pain; lowering functional activity.

noun

  1. a sedative drug or agent.

sedative British  
/ ˈsɛdətɪv /

adjective

  1. having a soothing or calming effect

  2. of or relating to sedation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. med a sedative drug or agent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
sedative Scientific  
/ sĕd′ə-tĭv /

  1. A drug having a calming or quieting effect, often given to reduce anxiety or to promote relaxation.

Other Word Forms

  • unsedative adjective

Etymology

Origin of sedative

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English (adjective), from Middle French sédatif, from Medieval Latin sēdātīvus; equivalent to sedate + -ive

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Later, when Carolyn developed a sensitivity to a sedative used during her monthly lumbar punctures, her doctors switched to another medicine, and the company again denied payment, Austin said.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2024

Ms Hemme was interrogated by police several times under the influence of antipsychotic medication and a powerful sedative after being involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital.

From BBC • Jul. 20, 2024

Prison officials have said they get the sedative pentobarbital from a compounding pharmacy whose identity is shielded by state law.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2024

Defence lawyers argued the two paramedics had followed their training in administering the sedative after diagnosing Mr McClain with "excited delirium".

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2023

Having indulged a while in this sedative, she raised her bent body, took the pipe from her lips, and while gazing steadily at the fire, said very deliberately—

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.